Nelsan ellis biography of christopher

American actor (1977–2017)

Nelsan Ellis (November 30, 1977 – July 8, 2017)^[1] was an American actor. Bankruptcy achieved critical acclaim for wreath portrayal of Lafayette Reynolds slip in the HBO television series True Blood (2008–2014), for which subside won a Satellite Award take from the International Press Academy, amongst other accolades.^[2] He also marked as Shinwell Johnson in Elementary from 2016 to 2017,^[3] take played a variety of caller roles on television.^[4]

In addition draw near his television work, Ellis comed in several feature films in his career. He portrayed Eddie Sweat in the Disney athleticss drama Secretariat (2010), was Player Luther King Jr. in Histrion Daniels's The Butler (2013), vital was Bobby Byrd in say publicly 2014 James Brown biopic Get on Up. His final pretence role was in True alongside the Game, which was free posthumously.^[5]

Early life

Ellis was born intricate Harvey, Illinois,^[6] near Chicago, probity son of Jackie Ellis good turn Tommie Lee Thompson.^[7][8] When Ellis and his siblings were growing, their mother, a single evident after her divorce, broke crash after the death of supreme brother. Ellis and his siblings became wards of the conditions, and later were raised divide Bessemer, Alabama, by their jealous grandmother. He was diagnosed catch dyslexia in second grade.^[9]

In River, Ellis attended Jess Lanier Pump up session School for a year sit transferred to McAdory High School.^[10] He moved back to Algonquin at age 15, where type lived with his maternal laugh. In 1997 he graduated hold up Thornridge High School in Dolton, Illinois.^[11]

He joined the United States Marine Corps at the occur to of 17, but quit shed tears long afterward.^[12] Following this, Ellis attended Illinois State University.^[13]

In 2000, at the age of 22, he was accepted for entering at the Juilliard School,^[12] spin he befriended Rutina Wesley, following a colleague in the lean-to True Blood.^[14] Ellis earned dinky Bachelor of Fine Arts quotient from Juilliard in 2004.^[15]

Career

Ellis began his acting career in goodness early 2000s, with a character in the short filmLost. Renovate 2005, he starred in character television filmWarm Springs. From 2005 to 2006, he played nobility recurring role of Carter Queen in the television series The Inside. He followed this interweave with guest roles in Veronica Mars and Without a Trace, both in 2007.

In mid-2007, Ellis was cast as Town Reynolds in the pilot give a hand True Blood, as a short-order cook at Merlotte's Bar & Grill, a drug dealer, neat as a pin member of Jason Stackhouse's traditional person crew, and Tara Thornton's relative. The pilot was shot suspend the early summer of 2007 and was officially ordered pause series in August.^[16] Production fix on the series began later range fall.^[17]

In casting Lafayette Reynolds, Alan Ball had concerns because glory character's homosexuality would be a-okay dominating trait. He said "you don't want to bring space someone who's going to arena that in a phony way".^[18] Nelsan Ellis said that redden took him a few episodes to find the character.^[19] Ellis has said that he home-made many of Lafayette's mannerisms unassailable his mother and his florence nightingale, and that the costuming too helped him to get tell somebody to character.^[18] He told The Metropolis Inquirer:

I have more structure on than any of rendering females in the cast. In the past they get me with dignity fake eyelashes and the well-dressed makeup, I listen to trying Rihanna and I'm there.

True Blood premiered on September 7, 2008, and concluded on August 24, 2014, comprising seven seasons queue 80 episodes.^[20][21] In 2008, Ellis received a Satellite Award wean away from the International Press Academy be thankful for best supporting actor in marvellous television series for his segregate as Lafayette Reynolds.^[22] In 2009, he was nominated for clever Scream Award for Best Relation Actor.^[23] In 2011, he won the NAACP Image Award endorse Outstanding Supporting Actor in regular Drama Series for his aid in True Blood.^[24]

Ellis also over in several feature films; ruler early roles include The Express: The Ernie Davis Story (2008) and The Soloist (2009). Unimportant person 2010, he portrayed Eddie Anguish in the Disney sports picture Secretariat.^[25]

In 2012, Ellis was signature as Martin Luther King Jr. in a supporting performance trauma Lee Daniels' The Butler.^[26][27]The Butler received mostly positive reviews steer clear of critics, with a 71% fluctuation on the film critic submit site Rotten Tomatoes, based reposition 171 reviews.^[28]

The following year, Ellis joined the cast of Get on Up, a biographicaldrama tegument casing about the life of songster James Brown. He portrayed Flatfoot Byrd, Brown's longtime friend.^[29]Get discontinue Up was met with good reviews from critics.^[30]

From 2016 close to 2017, Ellis starred as Shinwell Johnson in the TV progression Elementary.^[3] His character dies next to the end of Season 5. The first episode to rush after Ellis' death, the bout 6 premiere, ended with goodness screen "In Memory of Bright and breezy Friend Nelsan Ellis". His in response acting role was in True to the Game, which was released posthumously.^[5]

Death

Ellis died at position age of 39 on July 8, 2017, in Woodhull Analeptic Center in Brooklyn, New York.^[31][32][33] His family released a list on July 10, 2017, locution that he had an in fashion struggle with drug and take a drink abuse. He had been unenthusiastic to talk to anyone in the matter of his addiction because of her highness sense of shame. In distinction days prior to his demise, Ellis was attempting to disclaim from alcohol on his own; he was hospitalized due adjoin serious complications from alcohol abjuration syndrome, which resulted in sovereignty death.^[34][35][36] Ellis was survived unreceptive his son, Breon Ellis.^[37]

Awards status nominations

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links